Prescription Drug Importation Bill Passes Senate

SB20-119 aims to lower drug prices by providing options for consumers

Denver, CO – Today the Senate passed SB20-119 to allow the importation of prescription drugs from other countries to combat rising prices and provide affordable options for Coloradans.

1 in 3 Coloradans can’t afford to fulfill their prescriptions. Thousands of people are forced to cut their pills in half because the medicine they need is just too expensive. And many others simply go without and live with chronic pain and worsening conditions. 

"The system is in desperate need of reform. Coloradans, like all Americans, already pay among the highest drug prices in the world, and every year they are getting more and more expensive, not out of necessity, but out of greed," said Sen. Joann Ginal (D-Fort Collins).

More than 80% of active drug ingredients already come from outside the United States — yet Americans pay the highest prices in the world for these medications. This bill seeks to expand the Canadian prescription drug importation program passed in 2019 to include other countries as well.

"The US population is 10 times larger than that of Canada, and as several states explore drug importation from our northern neighbor, we must expand our options," said Sen. Ginal. 

If Congress enacts legislation that allows states to import prescription drugs from foreign countries, this bill would permit Colorado to expand the Canadian prescription drug importation program to other nations as long as certain safety regulations and conditions are met.

"Patients in Colorado want a fair price for pharmaceutical drugs, comparable to other high-income nations that are paying a fraction of what we pay in the US. Every Coloradan could benefit from this program, especially our seniors," Sen. Ginal said.

Read more: http://leg.colorado.gov/bills/sb20-119